For the first time ever there are five teams representing England in the Champions League. All are in action across Tuesday and Wednesday as they look to get off to a winning start in their respective groups. Man United, who qualified for the competition through the back door, get their European campaign underway by hosting FC Basel at Old Trafford. Chelsea also have a home game to look forward to and it’s a long trip for the visitors, FK Qarabag, who come all the way from Azerbaijan.
On Wednesday there are difficult home fixtures awaiting Liverpool and Tottenham. The Reds take on Sevilla and they will be keen to avenge their 2016 Europa League Final defeat here. As for Spurs, they are up against Borussia Dortmund who convincingly beat the north London side both home and away two seasons ago. Tottenham have come a long way since then though and the same can be said for Man City, who have an away trip to Feyenoord to deal with. It’s a huge game for the Dutch outfit who last reached the group stage of the competition in 2002.
Tuesday 12th September 2017
Man Utd v FC Basel (19:45) – FC Basel to win with a +2 handicap (7/5 with Bet365)
Although famous for flopping at Norwich a few years ago, Ricky Van Wolfswinkel should not be underestimated by the United defence. He was in great form for Vitesse last season and has continued in a similar vein since moving to Basel this summer. The Red Devils defence may have enough to keep him at bay but a goal doesn’t seem out of question for the Swiss side. Especially when considering how much the Swiss champions have enjoyed facing English opposition in recent years.
United are undoubtedly the stronger looking side but with some bookies offering 1/6 for them to win, they are a poor value bet. They have looked impressive in the Premier League this season but Basel offer a different test and the Swiss outfit have relished being the underdogs several times before in this competition. If the visitors can keep their concentration for the full 90 minutes then they look capable of keeping the scoreline to a fairly close one.
Chelsea v FK Qarabag (19:45) – Chelsea to win to nil (3/5 with BetVictor)
Antonio Conte’s men should have no difficult picking up all three points on their opening Champions League test. Their opponents reached this stage thanks to an away goal victory of FC Copenhagen and the level they appear to be at is much lower than that of the Blues. Playing outside of Azerbaijan is not their strong suit, something highlighted by their respective 5-1 and 3-0 defeats to Fiorentina and Slovan Liberec. Stamford Bridge is not an easy place to play at the best of times, even less so when you’ve travelled 3000 miles to be there.
The Blues may have lost at home during their Premier League opener against Burnley but two red cards meant we didn’t see the real Chelsea. The league champions showed more of what they are capable of when beating Tottenham the following week. They added some good depth in the transfer window and that should allow them to name a strong line up here even if some names are rested for the weekend.
Wednesday 13th September 2017
Liverpool v Sevilla (19:45) – Liverpool to win (3/4 with Ladbrokes)
Liverpool were simply torn apart by Sevilla in the second half when they met in Basel for the 2016 Europa League final. Jurgen Klopp’s side have improved since then though and will look to provide a stiffer test in front of their home supporters. Their performance against Hoffenheim at Anfield to reach the group stages suggests we could well see an impressive display from them. They were simply superb that day and their wealth of attacking options should give Sevilla plenty to think about the entire game.
Sevilla’s form on the road has been a real problem in the past but they were at least able to secure an all-important away victory against Istanbul Basaksehir in the play-off round. This ended a run of seven competitive away games without a win but it shouldn’t be enough to fill you with confidence in the Spanish side. If Liverpool show up on Wednesday evening they will have too much for Sevilla who don’t look like relishing their trip to Anfield.
Feyenoord v Man City (19:45) – Feyenoord to win with a +2 handicap (4/6 with Coral)
The Dutch champions look like they could make a good fist of their first Champions League involvement in 15 years. They’ve begun this season with some strong showings, a 5-0 thrashing of Willem II being the pick of the bunch. A couple of key men of their title winning side have departed but they’ve been busy in the transfer market to help ease the loss. Incredibly, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men have won their last 13 matches at home and you shouldn’t underestimate what a tricky test this is for City.
With De Kuip acting as fortress for the home side, Pep Guardiola may be in for a tough time on Wednesday evening. At times this season, his players have shone but at others the new look squad has looked like needing more time to adjust. Their work rate and chemistry will be put to the test here by a side who know their system and will fight for every ball. The Citizens may be able to scrape the all-important three points but it’s hard to see it being easy at all.
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund (19:45) – Dortmund to win (21/20 with Bet365)
Had this game taken place at White Hart Lane, three points for the Londoners would have seemed very attainable. At Wembley however, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have consistently failed to reach the same heights and their record at the nation’s national ground is a poor one. The idea of the ‘Wembley Curse’ has already become widespread and with no form to speak of at their temporary home, they risk not having the belief they can win this clash.
Not only will a side as good as Dortmund be able to capitalise on any mental uncertainty but the smooth, large pitch is likely to work in their favour. The Germans are known for their ability to play exquisite football and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang should get plenty of joy in the space behind the Tottenham rear-guard. They showed their class when beating Spurs twice in the Europa League two seasons ago and you can expect another fine showing from them here too.